Pak-Afghan Trade Linked to Security Concerns, Says Samar Haroon Bilour

PESHAWAR: Normal trade activities between Pakistan and Afghanistan cannot resume as long as terrorist attacks continue to originate from Afghan soil against Pakistan’s national sovereignty, Adviser to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor on Information Samar Haroon Bilour stated on Saturday. Emphasizing the federal and provincial posture on national defense, she asserted that the reopening of vital border trade routes remains strictly contingent upon Kabul addressing Islamabad’s legitimate security concerns through practical cooperation.

Addressing media representatives, Bilour urged the Afghan interim administration to take decisive action and guarantee that its territory is not utilized by proscribed militant outfits to launch cross-border assaults. “The threat of terrorism persists, but the law and order situation in the province has substantially improved,” the governor’s adviser noted in an official statement. She attributed the noticeable security gains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to intensified police patrolling, strategic intelligence sharing, and enhanced operational synergy between provincial police and security forces.

The prolonged disruption of bilateral trade across key transit corridors has exerted economic pressure on local traders and freight operators on both sides of the Durand Line. However, Pakistani officials maintain that public safety and border sovereignty supersede commercial priorities. Bilour also underscored the importance of civic participation in sustaining peace, highlighting that Area Representative and Development Councils (ARDCs) are currently providing a structured platform for community consultation, local dispute resolution, and grassroots security awareness.

As diplomatic channels between Islamabad and Kabul remain strained over border security, Pakistani authorities continue to call for verifiable anti-terror measures along the frontier. Industry analysts expect that future high-level bilateral engagements will focus on establishing strict joint border control mechanisms before any comprehensive normalization of transit trade is authorized by Pakistan.